Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-03-05

FASHIONS FOX TIL
FLOWERsS,N

TAILOR MADE suTs-THE THEATER BoNNBr-uN-
MEANING hILIEERy--A POrPoURI OF U6LINEss
AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS DIScUssIOS OF DRESS
IN WASHINGTON.
From Our Own Correspondent
NEW YORK, March 4.
The best possible characteristic Of clothes Is q
divine sense OF fitness, but many talk about 1T
ness who have not the remotest idea OF what It
consists / remember, as II 1t were q poem or
strain OF music, the appearance of the young
country women In England as they walked :along
the lanes or crossed the fields on sunny Sunday
mornings IN the spring time, with white capes
over their lilac blue cotton dresses their white
straw bonnets trimmed with ribbons OF the same
color and a''pOSeyr In their hands or in the bosom
OF the dress. There was little OF the fashion OF
the town in their attire, but there was the most
delightful sense OF fitness The fresh tnts OF their
clothing the brightness and healthfulness OF their
general aspect were in perfect harmony with the
son beauty OF air and sky with the everrecurring
miracles OF spring flowers. spring grass and spring
foliage.
i remember another country picture in the
spring. I'm little village In the interior OF New
York state. There one only knew that spring had
come by the "plantin'" and the preparations for
''iiouSe eleanin," The women wore the same
gowns, and many OF them "blanket" or ''broche'
shswls, the year round. The young girls made
some spasno1ic attempts to change the current,
but they werss not systematZed, were little en-
Outraged, and were, therefore, not often sensible
or satisfactory. IL was community where dress
or attention to IL from any tasteful or artistic
point OF view was considered frivolous" and
where q minister once lost caste and was driven
out, because his young wife. who made all her own
clothes and changed their color and texture with
the season, was voted worldly and extravagant,
and as setting bad example TO the young women,
members OF the congregation The dreary monot-
ony, the abSense OF life and color, for which the
conscientious but acrimonious residents OF that
nal DpfvhDOrlOOd
less recorded IN the lists of possible causes OF much
subsequent folly and crime.
freshness aud "old fashioned" character OF some Of
the new" spring styles. There Is an apparent
back" upon what are known to be standard pro-
auctions, which Is wonderfully restfuL Cashmeres
have come again to the front and appear In fine
qualities and soft make, In grey-blue tints In red
lombard plums and quiet lawns and browns
scotch tweeds genuine are shewn for travelling
wear (besI OF al materials for this purpose In the
acterisftc; and are made In simple styles WITH
straight plated shirt Norfolk Jacket and s0qp 5s
suit complete
Plounces have quite disappeared; only narrow
DIPLOMA, for tweedsl Drapery also is reduced in
bulk and weight, and there Is prospect OF living
In comfort through the warm summer days
SUMNER MATERIALS.
In addition to cashmeres and tweeds, there are
chall1es, gentle, house material, soft and cool.
for old ladies' and always in small figures or dots
on cream grounds Foulards, In very much the
same patterns and cOlOrS, and the cream WOODS In
tnftsd ines W6eh cro s and form small Cheek
some thicker and creped others having lace-like
stripes, and still Others, giving US a soft, solid
serge, which cleans and dyes and Is economical as
well aS beautiful
The novelties, SC far as can be judged have not
been very successful. Exceptions to this verdict
exist In some lovely. simulated drawn work, in
clustered stripes upon French batiste; and In the
lines OF clearinghouse embroidery, introduced into
designs are less happy. quantities OF dress pat
terms in oafiSte, gingham and cambria are shown;
squares which are occupied by posies or sprays of
flowers, in raised, woven embroidery. The stin-
ness and fixed character OF these designs renders
them very inappropriate for light, summer fabrics
and as inartistic as they are unbecoming.
There Is a curious want OF relation between one
Kind o. summer stuff and another, as they come to
US, both in color and pattern. They Seem-at least
the earlier displays excepting in the case OF
standard fabriesl-as II made up OF everybody
materials. sometimes OF very good quality, which
for some reason do not .'take or have been handl
the sales OF the previous season. These are put
our market and make a ''queer lot" from amongst
which, judgment Is required to make q selection.
POngeeS have retired for the present, the rem
nants having been used up In furnishing covers
Tor pine pillows. decorated with pine needles in
otxa9s 40 syepy few ' Ter wa an pre tassd ;f
until q nuiaber Oh women are deluded into buying
them, who. hnlhng the.n hopeless for wear and
turn OF the wheel brings them once more to the
surface
The truth is. pongee is not practicable 1t lacks
character, and this has to be impaired to it by
trimming, By embroidery, or by restricting 1t TO
certain uses in which It's neutrality Is a virtue.
Lined with yeilowish Su-ah, IL makes good but
not cheap, dusteT. Trimmed with cream lace and
black velvet bands, it looks we-for a rather sal
low brJnette-aS pOlonaiSe over black velvet
skirt; and ornamental with lines OF delicate en-
brOi1ery and trimmed with cream lace, II makes
charming and cool sacqueS for indoor, summer
wear.
In tropical climates, where there is perhaps less
choice OF materials than In more temperate zones,
highly appreciated, pOngee finds favor; but here
we have too great a variety OF fabrics OF less
er.0ea.t Kind 70 make pongees popular; and, be-
sides, IL Is vsry unoecCm1ng, In its deeper untS,
TO fair competitors.
fAIloR-NADs GowNa
The promise c. the tailor-made suits for the In
coming spring Is OF complete change OF base as
regards colo-. Heretofore dark colors and shades
have rued for cloth, and especially for the street.
the exceptions consisting OF specialized costumes
for boating, yachting and country tennis wear
The new designs are in cream tintS, soft grays a
delicate shade OF peach, grey and smoke blue. and
faint, shrimp shads o. pins These are, some Of
or cord, and fastened with small silver buttons,
frosted beans or round pads-neyer nat, as for
meriy.
Another charming and novel method OF finishing
them Is with vest, cufYs and high color OF reverS
OF the white, smooth side OF kid, lambskin or
moleSkin, stitched with ornamental or embroidery
silk Nothing can exceed the daintineSs OF these
costumes, the beauty Of tint and texture the re-
nnement Of nniSh and the elegance OF their cut
and Mt. They are, as yet, only seen IN few i'm
ported Sansc.s, AMI they can never become CON-
mon for the cost Is too grea5 and thei. usefulness
TOO limited
Costumes OF cream wool have had an exclusive
vogue for several years past; bue introduction
Of delicate evening shades lntO cloth and solid
wooen fabrics marks new era OF luxury: and
the possibilities OF charming results for young
rich and beautiful women. Probably the SOFT
grays and fawn shades Will find the most favor:
as they occupy medium ground between white
WOOL on the one hand, ana cOlO--tOO lively for
the taste OF the majority-for day wear, on the
other; and they make up Wei In the same or in
lid mounting.
The hats imported for these suits are soft nne,
white felt; ivory tinted, oval or 'boat' shaped and
ornamented with an aigretCe matching the color
or the gown, but fastened with silver pin or Or
naneDt- The return o. the oval and lndented
fe.t marks the downfall OF the high hat fate for
which is exaggerati0a and aggressiveness pre-
destined it. Ladies' who do not wish TO follow a
fashion 10 the grave, assist In any other way at
Its funeral, are warned not to accept very high
style in form or trimming for their spring bOnnets
Tor they are certain 10 gradually disappear. Phe
snaps nave eVea during the winter been much
hWer, and the bonnet only assumed its extraya-
CANT height Dy placing tall wings and ladders OF
Do"S l.. perfectly upright position. Sometimes
these nave no background, but stand up In front OF
the structure Ike a high clapbOani above the
single SorS Of a mountain ..hotei:" only In one
case they are Serstceabie, for they contain the
name OF the hosiery, while in the other they are
q ulere and entirely unnecessary Obsr rucrlon